


everything you do is something real, something new

by ryozumi



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Diner Date, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 22:37:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17150357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryozumi/pseuds/ryozumi
Summary: In the back of his mind Ryuu wonders: is it too hopeful to wish to see that side of Mitsuki more often?And following that: what exactly would he have to do to make that happen?





	everything you do is something real, something new

**Author's Note:**

> xmas exchange gift for Kei on [twitter](https://twitter.com/Keiure)! merry christmas!!

It’s a quaint little place, the family diner Mitsuki takes him to one random weekday night.

Everything from the parking lot to the sidewalks to the sides of the building are pinched tightly together, sandwiched between a gas station and some small homes. It feels entirely out of place when Ryuu considers its proximity to the hustle and bustle of the city, but when he switches his focus to how the light from inside radiates a warm and inviting atmosphere even in the dead of night, he can't help but feel like it belongs exactly where it is: nestled away, hidden from the crowds, like it's in another world altogether.

“Are they open?” Ryuu breathes, his voice muffled through his face mask yet entirely too loud in the otherwise tranquil night. The two of them are still a short distance away from the entrance and although the open sign is clearly on he has to ask anyway, on the off chance they’re about to intrude at closing time.

“Yeah, ‘til about two most nights.” Mitsuki’s answer is warbled by the way his teeth chatter from the cold, despite the bundles of layers wrapped around him. He rubs his gloved hands up and down his arms in an attempt to ward off the cold, to no avail if the ensuing shivers are any indication. Ryuu opens his mouth to offer something—his own gloves, his coat, his hands—but by the time it occurs to him all of these are either things Mitsuki has or things that may not actually help, the door’s only a few yards away and the opportunity regrettably passes.

Instead, Ryuu strides ahead the last couple steps and holds the door open wide for his companion. Mitsuki tosses his thanks over his shoulder and squeezes past into the small space Ryuu assumes must be the waiting area for when business picks up. Once inside, a large shiver visibly passes through his whole body, this time with relief at finally escaping the chilly winter weather. Ryuu lets the door fall shut behind them, removes his gloves and idly shakes out his own tingling hands.

As soon as Mitsuki recovers he reaches for the second door, grabbing onto the handle and pulling with his entire body’s weight, the momentum swinging the door all the way open and allowing Mitsuki to prop himself in front of it to hold it in place. He ushers Ryuu inside with a waving flourish of his hands; Ryuu thanks him humbly, his cheeks warming slightly as he finds himself inexplicably charmed by the simple gesture.

A quaint bell chimes as Ryuu steps inside—again when Mitsuki follows half a step behind—signaling their arrival to the staff. Not a moment later does their host appear from behind a set of double doors marking the entrance to a staff-only area.

They’re around Mitsuki’s height and age, dark hair neatly tied back in a ponytail, casual clothes hidden behind a black apron with the diner’s logo printed across the chest. Ryuu instinctively mirrors the friendly smile until he realizes (far too late) that his mask still covers half of his face. He hastily tugs it off and flashes another one, sheepish this time.

Mitsuki greets them like an old friend. Their polite customer service smile instantly morphs into something brighter to match Mitsuki’s casual, open attitude. Ryuu stands back until it’s time for introductions, mostly to let Mitsuki do some obviously needed catching-up, but also to assess his surroundings.

The restaurant’s atmosphere is...comfortable, to say the least. A decent amount of the interior had been visible through the large glass windows, but now he’s able to take it all in from a much closer standpoint: the stationary stools at the empty counter, reasonably spacious booths lined up against the walls, tables arranged to seat numerous amounts of people at once but with enough space in between that they don't seem crammed together. The colors are all neutral undertones—Ryuu assumes, at least, because everything’s dyed warm under the glow of the overhead lights.

He imagines a little place like this quite packed during more reasonable hours, with families of all sizes and people of all ages, every last one of them with a smile on their face and laughter in their voice. It’s the kind of restaurant people probably visit for generations. He starts to speculate if that’s maybe the case with Mitsuki—

Until he’s snapped out of his stupor by a hand waving back and forth in front of his face.

“Tsunashi-san?”

Ryuu blinks once, twice, sees the host behind Mitsuki looking mildly worried; realization dawns on him immediately. “Mitsuki-kun! Sorry, I got a little…”

“You alright?” Mitsuki asks, searching his expression, an eyebrow raised. “I wasn't sure I should mention it, but you seemed kind of out of it on the way here, too.”

Ryuu hurriedly waves his hands in front of his face, as if the gesture alone is enough to assuage Mitsuki’s concern. “Not at all! I was just, um…”

Of course, Ryuu initially has every intention of divulging his appreciation for the restaurant’s interior design, but Mitsuki’s eyes trained on him so intently send all of the words in his mouth back down his throat, where they clump into a ball Ryuu helplessly swallows back down. He tries to smile, but he's not sure how well he succeeds.

“Well, if you insist,” Mitsuki relents after a nerve-wracking stare-down, doubt still twisting his lips.

A thoughtful hum causes Ryuu to flinch and Mitsuki to spin back around. Their host stands with a finger pressed to their chin, carefully considering the scene ahead of them. Ryuu wonders what they look like, what with Ryuu practically cowering under the scrutiny of someone over a foot shorter than him.

The host smiles softly as their shoulders relax. “You’re both probably tired, right? I’ll prepare some tea. Sit anywhere you like, Mitsuki-san, I’ll be back shortly.”

“Ah...thanks,” he says slowly, as thought sounding the words out. Mitsuki appears every bit as confused about their behavior as Ryuu.

They stop just before re-entering the double doors, ponytail swaying as they spare a glance over their shoulder. “It’s nice to meet you, Tsunashi-san.”

Ryuu manages to reply almost entirely on instinct alone. “Likewise?”

The doors swing shut behind them. Ryuu rubs the back of his neck as he shoots a look at Mitsuki, who simply shrugs up at him and makes for a booth in the corner opposite the large glass windows.

“I didn’t get their name,” Ryuu admits to Mitsuki as they pause in front of the table to debulk.

“Oh, that was Mei.” As soon as Ryuu sets his gloves and coat on the seat he reaches over to grab ahold of Mitsuki’s collar, allowing him to slide out of it without trouble. Mitsuki gratefully accepts his coat back and tugs his beanie off, pausing to fold it neatly on top. “You sure you’re good? What were you thinking about back there that had you spaced out like that?”

They slide into the booth at the same time. The seat’s more comfortable than Ryuu expects, enticing his weary body to sink into it a bit as he explains his earlier daze. He’s only a little abashed at how simple it sounds compared to what Mitsuki must have expected.

A thoughtful hum from Mitsuki encourages Ryuu to elaborate, so he divulges the details of his observations with repressed excitement, but Mitsuki leans closer towards him the longer he goes on, eyes watching him with such increased rapport he worries he may have gone somewhat overboard.

Luckily that doesn't seem to be the case, as Mitsuki follows up with his own opinions on the restaurant’s charm points and with equal amounts of enthusiasm. It occurs to Ryuu that now is his best chance to ask his earlier question, so he does, and within minutes learns the story of how Mitsuki discovered the place one night years ago during a solitary stroll after a failed audition. Mitsuki offers limited details; in spite of that, the sparkle in his eyes makes it more than obvious how fond he is of the restaurant, especially everyone who works in it. That alone is enough to form a soft spot for it in Ryuu’s own heart.

Just as Mitsuki launches into another anecdote at Ryuu’s request, Mei arrives at their table with tea and another member of the staff in tow. They only stay long enough for a quick introduction and greeting, but it's a sufficient amount of time for Ryuu to determine that they're just as friendly with Mitsuki as their host.

Mei holds out a menu (Ryuu’s embarrassed to realize he forgot about food altogether) but Mitsuki turns it away without a second thought, confidently placing an order for both of them. After Mei leaves, Ryuu inquires about it with mild amounts of curiosity; Mitsuki chuckles nervously and confesses to having watched one of Ryuu’s recent interviews, where he mentioned a meal he'd been craving, and that having him try it from this restaurant had been one of the reasons for inviting him out tonight.

Interested, Ryuu asks about the other reason and lifts his cup to his lips.

Blushing almost imperceptibly, Mitsuki confesses to simply wanting to see him.

Ryuu’s so startled by the straightforward answer he nearly spills his entire cup of hot tea down his neck. Mitsuki chides him, mumbling something about how he should've expected that, but dabs at the damage dripping down Ryuu’s ridiculously sheepish face with a napkin anyway.

With Mitsuki doting on him like he's the younger one, it's Ryuu’s turn to blush.

Mei returns with an appetizer, thankfully completely ignorant of the near-incident of only ten seconds ago, allowing Ryuu to retain a shred of dignity.

As they idly work away at the plate, more members of the staff come out to greet them one by one, always having a good laugh with Mitsuki and a welcoming exchange with Ryuu but never lingering for an excessive amount of time, likely in a considerate effort not to be too overwhelming or intrusive.

Mitsuki, for his part, only ever looks a little lost when the time comes to introduce Ryuu to the elder members of the staff. Ryuu opens his mouth to supply something he assumes will be helpful only to be interrupted by the shock of seeing them reach over to ruffle Mitsuki’s already untidy hair with an assurance that he needn't worry about it, that they know who Ryuu is and couldn't be happier than anyone (except maybe Mitsuki himself).

Ryuu’s heart thumps wildly in his chest as it swells ten times its normal size. He ends up forced to hide half of his face behind his hand; Mitsuki is clearly overly flustered by their affection, proven by the color in his cheeks lingering for a solid two minutes after they’ve been frantically shooed away.

In the back of his mind Ryuu wonders: is it too hopeful to wish to see that side of Mitsuki more often?

And following that: what exactly would he have to do to make that happen?

Several more minutes pass until their food arrives, signaling the end of the staff’s visits. Only when the plate is set in front of him does Ryuu actually feel the pangs of hunger.

Once they offer their thanks they dig in, enjoying both the food and the light conversation that accompanies it. A single bite is all it takes for praise to come gushing out of Ryuu; the pride Mitsuki beams in response makes it all the more delicious.

Too soon does their meal end—yet Ryuu can't find it anywhere in him to be disappointed. Everything tonight has been so fulfilling, from all the people he met to the food to the rare leisurely time spent with someone he treasures more and more each day. Mitsuki appears just as satisfied, if not more so (putting aside the pouting when Ryuu insists on paying as thanks), as he says his goodbyes to everyone until the next time.

Maybe this is too hopeful as well, but Ryuu believes there’s a next time for him too. He says his goodbyes along with a silent promise to work out a way to bring his own family here someday.

Ryuu also thanks them all for the lovely meal and company, ensuring he sounds as grateful as possible, but he's brilliantly outdone by the people that thank him for taking care of Mitsuki.

As he gazes at Mitsuki laughing boisterously while surrounded by smiles, Ryuu recalls the expression on his face as he’d talked over his first time here. Any bitter feelings over that night of failure had been completely overshadowed with nostalgia, perhaps even replaced entirely by the solace he’d found. Ryuu can only imagine, but how uplifting it must have been for a younger Mitsuki to meet such welcoming, warm people while enduring such painful circumstances.

So Ryuu smiles and accepts their thanks with a tender heart, but not without ensuring they're all aware of just how much Ryuu believes they've done for Mitsuki as well.

They exit the restaurant at last, bundled up once again against the increasingly chilly wind. Mitsuki laments their decision to walk on such a night, to which Ryuu promises a car ride on their next date.

Mitsuki shudders. This time, Ryuu’s able to extend his hand without a second thought.

Mitsuki silently grasps it and tugs until Ryuu relents, smiling helplessly and walking as close to Mitsuki’s side as he physically can. They make their way home like that, hand in hand, words drifting away on the wind. Ryuu finds it all more than enough to warm him from the inside out.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/sobaya_san)!


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